Life
by Princess Ducky
Summary: Choices. Family. Prejudice. Home. Love. All parts of life. Each part told by a different person. Peter. Sirius. Remus. Lily. James. Please R/R. Hints of J/L romance and Marauder friendship.
1. Choices

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or the rights to it.

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Albus Dumbledore once said, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" he also said "Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time where we must choose between what is right and what its easy"

These two quotes have been stuck in my mind, replaying over and over. Choices have played a major part in my life. If I hadn't chose to sit in that carriage with those three other boys, I never would have been part of the marauders and everything that came with it. I would of never been the same person I am today, however I believe I would still be in the same position I am in now, I just would have been here a bit earlier. My choice of sitting in that carriage was the right choice, not the easy one.

While I was getting sorted the hat couldn't decide where to put me. He didn't think I belonged anywhere obvious. "An ambitious mind we have here, but not Slytherin. You will be eaten alive. Not loyal enough for Hufflepuff or smart enough for Ravenclaw. Gryffindor a possibility but your Gryffindor traits aren't all that strong either." He then went on to ask me where I thought I belonged. It was my choice. I chose the easy choice. I knew I wanted to be in Gryffindor with those three boys I sat with on the train. I thought it was the right choice at the time, but in hindsight it was the easy one. Going into the house where I knew I would have someone who would look after me. That was my second major choice in life, and I fear it is what pushed me into where I am now.

My third major choice was when two of the marauders and I found out the last was a werewolf. We had to make a decision whether to stay his friend or not. James and Sirius knew immediately what they wanted to do. They would stay his friend. I don't know why they decided this but they did. I didn't know what to. The whole werewolf idea freaked me out a bit actually. I knew the right thing to do would to sill be their friend, but that would also be the easy thing to do. This choice was not clear-cut at all. I chose to stay friends with them but to this day I still cannot decide whether it was for the right reason of not being prejudiced, or for the easy reason of having friends. I would like to think it was for the right reason but I really just don't know.

Choosing to become an animagus was… I don't know how to describe it. Scary would be one of the words that come to mind, helpful another. Once again my mind goes back to our headmaster's words. "What is right and what is easy…" Actually becoming an animagus would not be easy, but in this instance it doesn't apply to those words. No I have to make the decision and whether it's for the right or easy reasons. The right reason would be to help my friend in need or if I didn't decide to the right reason would be because I really didn't agree with the idea and it would be sticking with my beliefs. The easy choices would be because I want to be able to prove myself to everyone, or because I didn't think I could do it. Again the lines between my choice and whether it was right or easy are hazy, I don't know why I did, but I did.

There were many more choices in my life, both minor and major. Should I ask her out or not? Do I _really _need to write to my mother now? Should I do my essay on time for once? Are we being cruel to Snape the way we are pranking him?

These choices have helped shape me into what I am today. Now I am regretting nearly all of them.

As I kneel down in front of my master, bearing my dark mark. I make my final choice.

"They have done it, made me their secret keeper."

I tell my master their address and he heads off, me following in his wake.

As we reach my dear friends, ex-friends, house and my master enters I get the feeling that I never did what was right, I always did what was easy. In these dark times I made the wrong choices and it is too late to back out now.

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**A/N **This hasn't been beta'd so I apologise for any mistakes.

So, this is the first in a series of 5 chaps, all with a different theme. Hope you enjoyed and the next, "family" should be up tomorrow. Please review I love to hear what you think.

-Princess Ducky-


	2. Family

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or the rights to it.

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What is family? I ask myself this every day.

Most consider their blood relatives their family. Someone who they live with, someone who loves them unconditionally. I however disagree with this.

It may just be because of my unfortunate luck of relatives. The Black family, firm believers in the dark arts, they believe that muggleborns are scum. Whereas I believe that the dark arts are just that, dark. I believe that there is no difference between purebloods and muggles and muggleborns. You could say I was the black sheep in the Black family, though white sheep would be the more appropriate term with them.

Luckily I wasn't the only one who didn't believe in their twisted ideals. I had my cousin Andromeda who had been blown off the family tapestry for marrying Ted Tonks, a muggleborns. There was also my Uncle. He wasn't blown off the tree, only because my _darling _family wanted a piece of his fortune. As if they weren't rich enough.

Sadly my relatives knew how I felt about them and would express their distaste in different ways, all as hurtful as the next.

My darling mother, who is meant to love her child, berates me and pulls me down at every opportune moment, telling me I am useless, I am an idiot, I am a mudblood lover and that my brother will always be better than I ever will be. I won't lie. It hurts hearing the one person who you are always meant to be able to rely on treat you like this. Luckily she never laid a hand -or spell- on me. No that was my father's job.

Hands, feet, whips, wand. All used on my tortured body. What's worse is he uses words as well. His favourite punishment is the cruciatus curse. The pain is worse than you can ever imagine, I never hope anyone has to ever experience that curse. Another favourite was the imperious curse. Making me pick up a knife and cut myself, all the while making sure I was conscious of what I was doing. By the time I was thirteen however I could break the curse, after years and years of practice. Yes this hurt, but I knew my father wasn't part of my family. Nor was my mother.

My family was my brother. Who, yes did ignore me and become a death eater. I just can't hold a grudge against him. I was the first person to hold him as a baby and was the one who tended to him as he cried. My mother didn't want much to do with him, until we grew older and she found out my beliefs. Then he was her favourite. Despite that he is still part of my family.

My family is my friends. My fellow Marauders. James especially. They have all been there for me when I needed it, been there when I was happy and when I was sad. They played pranks on me and with me and were there for all the major moments in my life. Well, most of them

James however was there for every single little thing. He was the first person I told when I got my first girlfriend. He was the person I went to when I just couldn't take it anymore at Grimmauld place and just let me in, no questions asked.

James, Remus and Peter are my brothers. They are part of my family.

Lily is part of my family. She is James wife, my godson's mother but she isn't just there because of that. When I made my stupid mistake, nearly killing Snape and Remus, she was there. She had no idea what I had done but she sat with me. I eventually told her what happened and she just told me that I had made a mistake. She told me we all made mistakes and we just needed to move past them. Never forget, just move on. She saw the goodness in me and the other Marauders and made me apologize, she made me see that I could be forgiven; I would just have to work to get there. Lily is my sister. Not a sister-in-law but a sister. She was there before she married James and she is still there today.

Family is not just who shares your blood. Family is who you choose it to be.

My family is my close friends, who turned into my brothers.

My family is that one girl who saw the goodness in me, even when she hated my best friend, and who turned into my sister.

I once read a quote somewhere "God chose your family, thank god you can choose your friends." I disagree. I believe it should be "God chose your relatives. Thank god you can choose your family."

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**A/N **This hasn't been beta'd so please excuse any mistakes you may find

Please review, I would love to know what you think of it and hopefully the next one should be up later this week


	3. Prejudice

**Disclaimer: **Don't own but I wish I did.

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In parts of the muggle world if someone hears you are homosexual they treat you differently. Paramedics with a grudge stop treating you. You get kicked out of your own home and your parents disown you. If your partner abuses you, the support system will suddenly get cold when they find out your partner is of the same sex.

In the wizarding world they only care about your blood status. If you are a pureblood you are the best, you get the easy way through life. Half-bloods get it ok, you could call them the middle class system but if you are muggleborn, well that's another story. You will find it impossible to get a job high up in the Ministry; you will get teased at school.

I am not any of those things. I am not homosexual or a muggleborn but I have it worse off that both of them. I cannot find a job; most employers don't want to hear that their brand new employee needs three days off every month. Most people don't want to be friends with a… monster.

As I stand in front of a mirror watching my sandy locks fall in front of my amber eyes, I wonder for the millionth time in my life what it would be like to life a normal life, not a cursed one. Or even better. Live in a world without prejudice.

My name is Remus Lupin and I am a werewolf. If you are going to run away, do it now, before I get too attached. Most people run when I say that. Or they stand there laughing in my face. They don't believe me, I understand it is a bit farfetched but it's the truth.

I have it better than most werewolves believe it or not. Most get disowned and forced out of their own households and end up on the streets. Most never get to go to school. Most don't have any friends.

I'm one of the lucky few whose parents never cared. They still loved me. I was never forced to live on the streets. I always had food in my stomach and a roof over my head. When I got to eleven years of age I was allowed to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was here that my life changed forever.

While at Hogwarts I had the chance to be a normal teen. I had three brilliant friends and was receiving an education. By second year I was content with my life, I didn't want it to change. Unfortunately things never turn out the way you would like them too. During my second year, my friends figured out my secret. They found out I was a werewolf. At first James and Sirius were slightly absent, but they turned out to be researching a way to help me. Peter on the other hand spent second year running away from me. Peter was scared of me just because I was a monster one night a month. Luckily, he came back at the beginning of third year.

When my friends found out, I thought they would desert me, like Peter did. They didn't. Instead they found a way to help with the transformations. They found a way and by fifth year they succeeded. They became animagi, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were born the marauders became one.

Life was fantastic, my friends still trusted me, no one else knew, my teachers didn't treat me any differently and I had the other Marauders with me during my transformations. Once again I found out how unfair life could be.

During my sixth year Sirius told Snape how to get past the Womping Willow. I nearly killed him. After that Snape started to tease me, discriminate me for being a werewolf and I had Sirius to deal with, one of my best friends betrayed my trust. That was hard to deal with. But eventually we got passed it, went through seventh year and graduated. This is when everything started to get harder.

I couldn't get a job _anywhere_!!! With the war going on and me being a werewolf and everything else, no one would accept me. No one wanted to have an employee who needed three days off every month and that could be aligned with the "Dark Lord". I was just lucky I had my friends who I could live with and borrow money off.

In parts of the muggle world people get fined for prejudice and discrimination. In the wizarding world it's encouraged by most. Unfortunately it's going to follow me around my whole life, but that's the way life is. Life just isn't fair.

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**A/N: **Sorry it's up so late I had a lot of trouble writing it.

So yeah, this is the third chapter- non-beta'd like the others as my beta's Internet is down (Hope it gets back up soon Ri).

I don't like this one as much as the others but let me know what you think.

The next one (second to last) should hopefully be up over the weekend but don't hold your breath, it's proving difficult to write.

-Princess Ducky


	4. Home

**Disclaimer:** **If you think I own it, you need to go to Mako Mako at my school. They have padded walls there.**

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"So Lily, looking forward to gong home for the holidays?"

I paused to think about my answer. Alice has an amazing knack at making even the most simple questions complicated. Even though she never means to. But that's why we love her. But anyway, back to her question.

Am I looking forward to going home for the holidays? I don't think I am. Of course I'm looking forward to seeing my parents again. I miss them hopelessly and I love them to bits, but since I have been at Hogwarts I have never honestly believed Spinners End has been my home. Hogwarts is.

Hogwarts is my home because I fit in here. I have my friends, enemies and teachers here. Every one understands me, most of the time, and my need to do magic. Completely opposite to Spinners End. My parents try their best to understand. They really do, but they just don't. Tuney has given up even trying. She just hates me and my "freaky business" all together. At Hogwarts they all just get it. Apart from perhaps the new caretaker, James swears he is a squib.

James. James Potter is the main reason why Hogwarts is my home. I used to despise James however now… now I don't know how I will ever live without him. I think if he died or left my I would seriously consider committing suicide. Bloody Potter, he has taken over my life, but I love it and him to bits, and his hot body…

"Earth to Lily Evans, anyone in there?"

"What?" I snapped, my daydream was just getting good, so deliciously vivid and realistic.

"Your answer Lily. To my question. That I asked you FIFTEEN minutes ago. Alice reminded me, giving a smirk then a knowing smile. She knew exactly what she was interrupting.

I blushed, ignored her smile and gave her a truthful answer.

"I am home."

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**A/N: **Wow, that is really short. Especially considering the wait. I apologise for that, but I must have written that at least six times, then deleted it all cause I didn't like it. I have to say this went into a completely different direction to what I expected it to, but I like the way it turned out. I can't believe I actually am posting it today. I am in the middle of my exams (this was written at the end of one when I finished early) and I have 3 tomorrow, so I probably should be studying, but this looked more fun.

Please Review I love the feedback.

-Princess Ducky


	5. Love and Life

**Disclaimer: **This is purely for my own enjoyment. If you believe I own Harry Potter please go and take a seat in the waiting area. The "nice young men in clean white coats" are on their way

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Some say we are born to die.

I guess that's the truth though. We are born, live for however many years fate has set for you and then you die. Simple as that.

However, it's the years in the middle that make who you are, if not, we would all be the same and everyone knows that would be the worst thing in the world. Can you imagine if everyone was like Sirius? The world would be a nightmare…

But anyway, back onto the topic, everyone goes through those middle years differently.

Everyone makes different _**choices**_. As Albus Dumbledore once said "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities". Throughout my years on this earth I have made many choices, good and bad. My worst, every time I picked on Severus Snape, that is my biggest regret in life, acting like an idiot when it was time to grow up. My best, becoming friends with Sirius, Remus and Peter, my brothers in all but blood. Also marrying Lily and having Harry. I love my family to bits.

That brings me to my next point. _**Family**_. Some say they have horrible family, but I know that you choose your own family. Mine is made up of Lily and Harry of course, but also Sirius, Remus and even Peter. It took me a while to figure this out but watching Sirius go through what he did gave me a whole new perspective on this. However I don't think I will really know and understand that as well as Sirius does. Just as Sirius and I won't understand what Remus has had to go through every day of his life.

Ever since Remus was six he has gone through hardships none of us could imagine. The _**prejudice**_ he has seen toward him and others around him has been great. I have never had to experience prejudice the way he has and for that I will always be grateful to fate, god or whoever you believe in. I haven't been in a world where my parents nearly disowned me, I almost didn't get accepted into school and find it difficult to get a job just because I was different. Remus has but he was lucky his parents always loved him and he found home at Hogwarts with the rest of us.

_**Home**_. Everyone has a home. Somewhere you fit in perfectly and where you are accepted for who you are. I found it at Hogwarts along with Sirius and Remus. We found each other instantly and found that perfect niche there where we fit. Lily found her home at Hogwarts as well, but it wasn't with us, me, until our final year. Peter was always more at home with his mother, something we didn't understand, but still accepted. Harry of course is at home with me and Lily, and that will always put a smile on my face knowing someone in the world depends on my for a home. That's the deepest love I will know.

There are many different types of _**love**_ out there. There is the love siblings have towards each other, but that can go bad. Just look at Lils and her sister. Then there is the love Lily and I share. It is so incredible I just can't put it into words. There is the love the marauders and I share. The closest of friends, always brothers, we have a bond that doesn't match anything. None of these types of love are like each other and are equal to each other but there is one type of love that goes over and above those. That is the love of a child and parent. It is totally indescribable and is the most amazing thing I have experienced.

Those years in the middle are different for everyone. That is why it is known as _**life**_. We are all different and like different foods, music, people and places. If everyone had the same life it would be a boring place.

So some say we are born to die. I totally disagree.

I believe we are born to live.

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**A/N** Wow. It is finally over after 79 days (yes I counted, and yes, I know that is sad). When I first started writing this I told myself I wouldn't take forever to update, but I did so for anyone who read this and was waiting for the next chap I apologise.

I am really happy with how this chap and the whole story in general has turned out, but I would love to hear what you guys out there think, so please review.

-Princess Ducky


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